The recent column by Jenny Zhao and Robert Weiner was spot on about the need for a mass movement like the Freeze to prevent nuclear war and eliminate nuclear weapons [“The world needs another nuclear freeze movement,” Gazette, Sept. 2].

Fortunately we already have such a national movement, Back from the Brink, and it started right here in the Valley. It is modeled on the Freeze and focuses on a call for the U.S. to lead an international effort to eliminate all nuclear weapons by bringing together all nine nuclear armed states to negotiate a verifiable, enforceable agreement to dismantle their nuclear weapons according to an agreed upon timetable so they can all join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The campaign has been joined by some 450 NGO’s including many national faith communities (the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, Unitarian Churches, the Islamic Society of North America, Pax Christi, the Reconstructionist Jewish Movement, Soka Gakki), environmental groups (Sierra Club, 350.org, NRDC), scientific organizations (Federation of American Scientists, Union of Concerned Scientists, Physicians for Social Responsibility) as well as many peace and social justice organizations. It has also been joined by a number of trade unions including the Mass Nurses Association, the Mass Teachers Association, and the Western Mass Area Labor Federation. A new national student group, Students for Nuclear Disarmament is also part of the campaign with chapters on 14 campuses nationally.

Back from the Brink has also been endorsed by 70 cities and towns including Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Tucson, Salt Lake City, Boston and 19 others in Massachusetts. Both houses of the state legislature in California, Oregon, and Rhode Island and the New Jersey Assembly and Maine Senate have also endorsed the campaign, and resolutions are pending in the Massachusetts Senate (S. 1649, introduced by Senator Jo Comerford) and in the Maryland legislature.

In Congress, Rep. Jim McGovern introduced a Back from the Brink resolution, H. Res. 317 a few months ago and it already has 32 co-sponsors. Senator Ed Markey introduced a companion resolution in the Senate, S. Res. 323 just a few weeks ago with four original co-sponsors.

We need to make this campaign much stronger to bring about real change in U.S. nuclear policy, and warmly invite Jenny and Robert, and all those persuaded by their article to join. More information can be found at www.PreventNuclearWar.org.

Ira Helfand

Leeds